HIGHWAY ACROSS AFRICA
Real World Scenario – The World Bank has turned down a loan for a proposed highway across Africa
from Tunis, Tunisia, to Cape Town, South Africa. You have been hired to submit to the World Bank a
proposal for a better route for the highway. Your team of transportation consultants will study a series of
maps, data, and atlases (and other references), to explain why the first route was turned down, and create a new
and improved route with reasoned support for it.
Focus Question – How does the human and physical geography of Africa influence
its economic interdependence?
The African Union has made the building of a highway across the continent a major priority. The purpose of
the highway is to foster political cooperation among the African nations and to promote economic
development, trade, and tourism.
The highway would be financed by the World Bank, which, with the African leaders, recently rejected an initial
proposal for the highway and is now seeking alternate proposals.
Your assignment will cover 2 class days:
You will need to draw the original proposal for the highway and list 3 reasons the proposal was rejected. Then
you will need to research and map an alternate proposal and explain how it improves on the original. This will
be broken into several mini-tasks and a final task for you and your team.
MINI TASK 1: DETERMINE THE ROUTE OF THE FIRST REJECTED HIGHWAY.
1. Create a map of the Rejected Map
Route using the list of cities on the
next page. You will need to create a
new map in Scribblemaps. Save it
with the title “Rejected Africa
Highway”.
2. Outline each country touched by the
proposed highway in a color (no
blue). Only outline those touched by
the route.
3. Add a dot for each city along the
route.
4. Use the straight line tool to show the
highway route as close as you can
to reality.
5. Trace major rivers and lakes that
would be bridged in blue. Add a
name label in blue for each river or
lake that is crossed.
6. Save often, and submit online when
finished.
Connect the Cities:
“Building a Highway across Africa”
Create a map of Africa to draw the rejected route, which attempted to connect the following
cities in this order:
1. Tunis, Tunisia
9. Nairobi, Kenya
2. Algiers, Algeria
10. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
3. Niamey, Niger
11. Lilongwe, Malawi
4. Abuja, Nigeria
12. Lusaka, Zambia
5. Yaounde, Cameroon
13. Harare, Zimbabwe
6. Brazzaville, Congo
14. Johannesburg, South Africa*
7. Kinshasa, Democratic
Republic of the Congo
15. Port Elizabeth, South Africa*
8. Kampala, Uganda
16. Cape Town, South Africa*
Heads Up: the last 3 cities listed are ALL in the country of South Africa.
Rejected Map Route
MINI TASK 2: RESEARCH THE COUNTRIES AND BARRIERS ALONG THE ROUTE
TO DETERMINE WHY THE HIGHWAY WAS REJECTED.
1. Collect your findings with the help of your team.
Each team member will be responsible
for one part of the data.
2. Use the tracking sheet provided.
Highway Across Africa Research Tracking Sheet
Country
Climatologist
Landforms
Water
Demographer
Ethnic Groups
Religions
Economist
Land Use
Resources
Vegetation
Climate
Languages
Government
GDP per capita
HDI Level
Cartographer
Environmental Hazards
Health Hazards
Dangerous Conflict
Zones
Excellent Web Resources for Highway Across Africa
CIA WORLD FACTBOOK
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
BBC NEWS
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profiles/default.stm
Human Development Index
http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/
most recent GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_gdp_percap-economy-gdp-per-capita
Current Conflict & Wars
www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/index.html
CULTUREGRAMS
If you want to read about the countries of Africa, you can use this web site.
 http://online.culturegrams.com/world/index.php
 username: shslibrary
password: Trojans
Health & Safety issues for travelers
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/africa/practical-information/health
Flags http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/flagcnty.htm
Population Pyramids
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/pyramids.html
Political leaders
infoplease.com/world/leaders/nameofcountry.html
Use this website will work for looking up political leaders...just be sure to put the name of the
country where it says name of country in italics.
MINI TASK 3: CONSIDER THE CRITERIA OF THE WORLD BANK TO DETERMINE WHY THE
HIGHWAY WAS REJECTED AND CREATE A NEW ROUTE ON THE PROVIDE MAP.
CONSTRUCTION CRITERIA
Proposal for a Highway across Africa
The purpose of the highway is to foster political cooperation among
nations and to promote economic development, trade, and tourism.
the African
Construction costs: Terrain and climate influence the cost of road construction. Listed below are kinds of
terrain ranked in order of expense for road construction that is mountains are the most expensive, savanna the
least expensive.
•Mountains - most expensive $$$$
•Rainforest / Jungle
•Desert
•Bridge over major rivers
•Steppe / Chaparral
•Savanna - least expensive $
Roads are more expensive to build in humid, subtropical climates than in
Mediterranean climates. Your surveyors, engineers, and construction crews must
have a reasonable chance to do their job safely.
Use the Africa Outline map to create a new route proposal:
(see rubric for additional requirements and grading criteria)
•Cover a major portion of the continent – do not ignore a region.
•Connect major population centers
•Cross a minimum of 13 countries and a maximum of 25
•Pass through a capital city on the Atlantic Ocean and a capital city on the
Indian Ocean.
NEW ROUTE PROPOSAL
Final Task:
Write a memo to the World Bank identifying problems and arguing a solution of where to
build an economic superhighway and why it is important. Support your position with
evidence from your research. Be sure to examine competing views. Give examples from past
or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.
REPORT AT LEAST 3 REASONS WHY THE HIGHWAY WAS REJECTED
AND GIVE PROPOSED SOLUTIONS.
You may use the template included here to frame your memo. Be detailed - use actual place names and the
language of geography. Each reason should be supported by research and be specific to the task. Discuss
your sources as you go.
MEMO EXPLAINING THE REJECTION OF THE HIGHWAY ACROSS AFRICA
To: African Union Leaders and the World Bank
From : Crockett Partners Inc Research Team
Members_______________________________________________________________
Subject: Recent Proposal for “Building a Highway Across Africa”
After considering the data and the rejected highway route, our research has shown that the
highway as planned will not be feasible at this time. The World Bank has asked for the highway
to do several things.
Cross a major portion of the continent
Connect major population centers
Visit at least 13 countries, but not more than 25
Pass through at least one capital city on the Atlantic Ocean and a capital city on the
Indian Ocean
 Promote the economic development of Africa
We have emphasized the influence of the physical and human geographic features of the
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continent in researching your proposal. Keeping in mind the purpose of the highway, we submit
the three specific reasons your route was rejected and the following possible solutions.
Reason #1 (Physical Geography)…
Reason #2 (Human Geography)…
Reason #3 (Team choice – Human or Physical)…
Write a short letter in the space provided stating why this proposal should be accepted by The World Bank. Please include the
following topics: The Physical Geography and Human Geography of the continent of Africa.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Sincerely,
REJECTED and New Africa Highway Maps and Memo
MAP FEATURES
Points Possible
The Map
25
Shows physical features of Africa
that would impact the route
15
Rejected and New Map
Shows cities connected by the
highway
Rejected and New map has names
20
of all affected countries and shows
their boundaries
Rejected and New map shows
10
context (Atlantic & Indian oceans,
Mediterranean Sea, Europe and
Asia)
Rejected and New map clearly
30
communicates our group’s 3
hazards that kept this highway
from being built
Maps are colored and labeled
10
clearly. Shows neatness and
craftsmanship of the
cartographers
Total
100
Points
Comments
Rubrics
MEMO FEATURES
Points possible
Memo is clearly written,
15
shows good grammar, meets
all requirements of the
task, and is informative in
its voice
Hazard #1 (physical) is
20
explained in detail and
shows mastery of the
subject matter
Hazard #2 (human) is
20
explained in detail and
shows mastery of the
subject matter
Hazard #3 (choice) is
20
explained in detail and
shows mastery of the
subject matter
3 reasons for rejection are
25
geographically accurate,
specific to their country,
and relate to the goals of
the highway project.
Reasoning for New proposal
route is logical and
defensible.
Total
100
Points
Comments